Independence
by SpidersBlood
Summary: Stupid Yadonushi!" Bakura wants Ryou to be just as strong as he is, but when Ryou leaves for a while, Bakura learns just how hard it can be. Hopefully the story is better than the summary. RyouXBakura Yaoi. Rated for swearing.
1. 3rd person omniscient

**Summary:**

_Stupid Yadonushi!" Bakura wants Ryou to be just as strong as he is, but when Ryou leaves for a while, Bakura learns just how hard it can be. Hopefully the story is better than the summary. RyouXBakura Yaoi. Rated for swearing._

**Author's Notes:**

I don't know how this will turn out, really. This is the first time I've submitted a story. It's kind of short, I think, but there will be three chapters all together. It was originally going to be a one-shot.

Keep in mind that I tend to use _italics_ for thoughts.

**Chapter One:**

"What's wrong, Yadonushi?"

Bakura gazed into the teary eyes of his former host. Now that they had separate bodies, he couldn't simply invite himself into Ryou's mind to know his thoughts. Now, he needed to ask.

Ryou had only closed the front door after returning from school before he began to cry quietly.

Hastily, the boy wiped away his tears.

"N-nothing!" he said, "It's nothing… Nothing you'd want to know about." He turned away from Bakura, trying to escape his view and retire to his room, only to be stopped suddenly and yanked back. Bakura had a strong grip on his arm.

"Tell me!" he demanded.

"You won't want to hear my complaints!" Ryou attempted a smile, "I shouldn't trouble you with my nonsense."

Bakura hated the way Ryou seemed to care about him. Why couldn't he just be normal, like the damned Pharaoh and his cheerleaders? Why couldn't Ryou just hate him like all the others did, instead of inviting him into his home and looking after him? Ryou could have sent him away – Bakura would have completely understood – but he didn't. And no matter how much Bakura appreciated it, he feared it as well. He was the King of Thieves, and he shouldn't have a heart…

Unfortunately, Ryou – without even knowing it – had stolen the heart of a thief.

"Tell me why you're crying!"

Ryou started again to protest, but Bakura glared at him.

"You're trying my patience."

Ryou sighed and looked at the floor. Tears began to stream out of his eyes again, as he stopped holding them back.

"They hate me! They really hate me!" he cried, "It's because of what I've done! They don't trust me, and they don't want me around them, anymore."

Bakura let go of his arm and backed away. He knew that Ryou was referring to his friends. It meant that he had lost his friends…

"…Because of me?" He looked away from him. Before, when he first met the boy, he couldn't care less about him and his friends. But now, after all that had happened, he felt guilty. He had done a terrible thing to Ryou.

Bakura cursed himself internally. Truly, love is a horrible thing.

Realizing what he meant by his last sentence, Ryou stepped forward.

"No! It's _not_ because of you, it's because of me! It's because they wish I wouldn't befriend you like I have…" He stared desperately at Bakura, his eyes pleading desperately for him to understand. "But I won't take sides with them, because you've always been here with me, even if it wasn't by choice. Even my father won't stay with me, but you have. And I can't imagine life without you." Ryou's face suddenly went serious. "And that's why they hate me – because I won't give up on you!"

Now Ryou didn't make any sense at all to Bakura. He wanted his friends, but he couldn't let go of Bakura for them? Wouldn't it be easier to agree with one side or the other? Why didn't he just ditch Bakura? He certainly deserved it.

"Well, you can't have both." He warned.

"I know…" Ryou sighed. "I just feel sad, that's all. I don't feel so sure of myself anymore. I used to think I was their friend, but now it seems like I never was."

"So forget about them."

"It's not that easy when they're your friends."

Ryou sat on the floor and hugged his knees to his chest, evidently sulking. Bakura wondered how he could be so undignified. He looked so pathetic. And Bakura couldn't help but to blame it on himself, even if Ryou told him it wasn't his fault. Although, why he should be concerned was beyond his knowledge.

Bakura knelt down in front of him and tried to give him a friendly smile. Ryou just stared at him, confused.

"Why are you still sad?" Bakura asked, "Haven't you made up your mind, yet?"

"Bakura!" Ryou exclaimed, "It's just not that easy!" I cared about them very much and I-"

"I lost a lot of people I cared about!" Bakura scowled. He thought that Ryou should be able to be as strong as him. After all, both he and Ryou had terrible pasts. He knew this from when he used to be able to read the boy's mind.

"I don't know how you cope…"

Taken aback by this musing of Ryou's, Bakura wondered, _How did I deal with my grief? It's been so long since I've even given it a thought. Maybe whatever method I used Ryou could try out as well?_

Bakura sat down comfortably and leaned back, trying to recall his emotions after the Pharaoh's guards attacked Kul Elna.

He suddenly remembered. No good. Ryou wouldn't be able to use Bakura's tactics. He was far too kind to pull it off.

Looking at Ryou's distant, miserable face, he decided to tell him anyway.

"I managed to cope… because I converted my grief into another emotion." Ryou stared at him, unblinking.

"What do you mean?" he sniffled.

Bakura sighed. How to explain?

"Well," he said, trying to come up with random examples off the top of his head. "When my friends can't deal with the way I am, I don't try to change myself – I blame them and find new friends…" Ryou's expression didn't change. "When I lost every person I knew, I remembered who killed them, and obsessed over destroying them." Ryou instantly gave him a look of concern. Before he could ask him about his past life, (which he had done before), Bakura continued on. "When my yadonushi forgets to bring home some ice cream after school, I don't mourn over it – I shout at him and lock myself away in my room." At this, Ryou laughed to himself. Seeing his mood brighten, Bakura stopped.

"Thank you," Ryou said.

At that moment, both Ryou and Bakura realized how nice Bakura was being. Why was he suddenly giving Ryou advice, when usually he would only give sarcastic remarks and tell him to go away? What had changed him?

Bakura didn't take as long as Ryou did to understand why. He had feelings for him. He didn't want to admit it – even to himself. It was rather embarrassing for him to start falling for the one he used to be able to control. He could feel his face start to heat up.

Noticing that Ryou was looking at him, looking confused, Bakura looked at the ground.

"Anyway," he said, "I doubt that will be of any use to you. I just wanted to tell you…"

"No, I understand," Ryou interrupted, smiling. It wasn't the normal Ryou Bakura smile, Bakura decided. No, it was a different smile… one that said that he really did understand.

_Understand what?_ Bakura wondered, as Ryou changed positions, getting ready to stand up.

But he didn't get up. He moved forward and _hugged_ him.

Caught off guard, Bakura didn't pull away like he would have done, maybe only a month ago.

_Shit,_ he thought, _What _does_ he understand? Does he know how I think of him?_

"Thank you," Ryou whispered. _Thank you?_ If he was just trying to thank him, then maybe he didn't know anything? Maybe he just wanted to thank him?

The phone rang.

Bakura mentally sighed with relief as Ryou got up to answer the phone.  
"Ryou speaking," he said. He continued to talk on the phone for a while, but Bakura didn't listen. He was thinking to himself.

What just happened? Why did Bakura feel so nervous all of a sudden? He never felt this way about his host before… Or anyone, for that matter…

"Really?!" Ryou said, louder than he normally spoke. Bakura looked over. Ryou looked much happier than before. "Yes, I'll start getting ready. Bye!"

Ryou ran into his room, without saying a word. He seemed okay, so Bakura didn't bother him.

…

Ryou didn't leave his room until an hour after he had entered. When he did, Bakura was sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels on TV. Noticing his presence, Bakura turned off the TV and turned to face him.

"So?" he asked.

Ryou fidgeted. "So what?"

"So what was that call all about?"

_He isn't going to like this… _Ryou thought to himself before answering. "Well… My father just phoned… and he said that he had bought tickets for me to go to Egypt to visit him…"

Bakura carelessly nodded.

"But, he didn't know that you existed… so…"

"So I'm not going?" Bakura already figured this much out.

Ryou nodded silently. There was a silence, and Ryou was sure that Bakura would be angry at him for leaving him behind.

"When are you leaving?"

"Early tomorrow morning. It'll only be a few days, I'll be back soon – I'll only miss school on Monday. I'll leave some money with you."

Bakura turned on the TV. "Fine. Can we have pizza for dinner tonight?"

Ryou smiled. "Sure."

**Author's Notes:**

Nothing much more to say, here. Sorry if it was a little unrealistic. I try.

Please tell me what I can improve on! I really need it!


	2. Bakura's Point of View

**Summary:**

_"Stupid Yadonushi!" Bakura wants Ryou to be just as strong as he is, but when Ryou leaves for a while, Bakura learns just how hard it can be. Hopefully the story is better than the summary. RyouXBakura Yaoi. Rated for swearing._

**Disclaimer:**

Don't we post on this site because it's and we don't own anything?

**Author's notes:**

Thank you so much to My Deteriorating Sanity and FlyingShadow666 for reviewing. It makes me happy inside to know that some people actually like the stories that I'm writing. Many, _many_ thanks to My Deteriorating Sanity for your reviews and stories, I love them a lot:D

**Chapter Two:**

Stupid Yadonushi!

If he was only here to look after me, I wouldn't feel like this! I think I must be coming down with some sort of sickness, but I have no idea what. It's nothing severe, but it is a mighty pain in the ass!

And where is Ryou while I'm feeling like total crap? He's off vacationing with the father who can't even return to his own son once and a while to visit. I thought _I_ was the important one in Ryou's life, because _I_ actually stayed with him _all_ the time!

I turned off the TV that I wasn't paying attention to, and lied down on the couch, staring at the ceiling. This seemed to be all that I ever did these days. I didn't have anyone to talk to with Ryou gone. And now that I've started feeling sick, I've wanted to do less and less. I don't even eat much.

I really did support his visiting Egypt in the beginning, though. He really needed some time away from here, and he hadn't seen his father in a long time. But a few hours after he left, I began to feel sick. I figured I was just feeling weak from not having the millennium ring around my neck – Ryou had taken it with him, saying his father would be offended if he thought Ryou didn't wear it. But even sleep didn't help me to recover.

It was then that I knew something was wrong with me.

Ugh… I said it wasn't severe, but I also said I felt like crap. It's just that I feel sick to my stomach and I seem to have lost the will to do anything. I feel this aching in my chest and I lose sleep at night. All I seem to be able to concentrate on is how empty the house now seems.

Now I'm lying on the couch, not knowing at all what wrong with me. I felt the pain in my chest build up and I took a deep breath. Sighing always seemed to help get rid of at least some of my sickness, before it slowly crept back to me.

I sighed again and closed my eyes. It would only be two more days until Ryou will come back so I can tell him to find the cure…

…

I felt my heavy eyelids slowly open up. How long had I been asleep? I looked out the window. The sun was beginning to set. It was only early afternoon when I had lied down on the couch in the first place.

As I continued to remember what was going on around me, I felt the sickness start to take over again. I wondered why it didn't hit me as soon as I opened my eyes. I began to believe that this sickness must all be my own thoughts. Why else would I be able to fight it off by sighing? And why would it come back just by the memory of it?

But how could my own thoughts make me sick?

The phone rang, bringing me back into reality. I groaned as I reluctantly answered it.

"What?" I asked irritably.

"Is that any way to greet a friend?" I recognized Marik's voice on the other end of the line. Malik's yami had also returned, and we were friends, sometimes.

"I'm sick," I explained effortlessly.

"I see. Malik told me that Ryou left you all alone."

I guess Ryou must have told Malik. Those two were friends… _sometimes_...

"Yeah, he went to Egypt to look for his dad."

"Don't most people look for treasure in Egypt? Anyway, Malik and I were wondering if you wanted to come over." I growled.

_"No._ I'm _sick."_ I repeated.

"It doesn't matter. Come over." With that, Marik hung up the phone.

I sighed again. Maybe they could help me forget about my mental malady?

The walk to Marik's house was only about ten minutes long, but I refused to think about anything the whole time. If I didn't think, then I wouldn't notice the pain. I arrived there faster than I thought I would.

Before I could even knock, the door opened a crack, and I could see a large pair of violet eyes staring at me.

The door flew open.

"BAKURA!!" Malik flung himself at me, crushing me in his grasp. _This_ was why I'm not friends with him – how Ryou tolerates it, I'll never know.

"Hey, you showed up!" Marik appeared at the door frame. I glared at him.

"No sh-"

"We thought you weren't coming!" Malik exclaimed, looking up at me.

"Look, just _get off!"_ I pushed the boy away. He merely giggled.

"Well, come on in," Marik offered. They went inside and I followed. I still didn't have much of a reason to be there, except my illness.

"So what do you want?" I asked, looking around. The two blondes sat themselves on a nearby couch, in front of the TV, indicating that I do the same. (A/N: Always couches in front of TVs. I couldn't be more descriptive.)

I sat down in a chair by myself.

"We were just bored, so we invited you over, when you didn't have your hikari around," Marik explained. I rolled my eyes.

"So, I'm only here to amuse you?"

"Basically."

The light giggled. I glared at them.

"Why are you sick?" Marik asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know… I'm just sick to my stomach or something. I'm too lazy to do anything, it seems."

"You miss Ryou?" I heard the smaller boy ask. What a pest.

_"What?"_ I demanded. Marik nodded in agreement.

"You definitely miss him." I just glared at them.

"Why in Ra's name-"

"Because you do."

I was wrong. They were going to be no help whatsoever. I should have known.

I stood up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Malik whined.

"Home."

I simply walked out of the room, ignoring their protests.

Marik stepped between me and the door. "Come on, now, Bakura! Why would you want to leave so quickly? That would be a waste of your time."

"In case you haven't noticed, I have more time than I could possibly ask for!" I pointed out. He shrugged.

"All the more reason to stay. C'mon, let's play a game."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want to play a game with you?"

"Because you're already here, with nothing better to do."

I shook my head in disbelief. Who did these two think they were? Nobody would tell me what to do – or how I felt.

I pushed Marik aside and marched outside.

"I thought you were sick!" Marik called, but he didn't follow me. "Too sick to do anything!"

"I'm officially sick of _you!"_ I shouted in reply. I heard Marik laugh before he shut the door.

I grumbled all the way back home. I really hated what they said – even if it _did_ make sense. It seemed that I really did miss my hikari.

The truth is, Ryou was the most company I had. He said he was happy that I stayed with him, but I was probably more grateful than he was.

Throughout most of my existence, I had been alone. In my childhood, I lived in Kul Elna. I lived around people like me, and developed my skills as a thief. But then the pharaoh took that away from me. I spent many long days starving by myself. It's not that there wasn't any food. I could go into any nearby building and steal the dead people's food. I, however, did not have the will to eat.

It was _so_ damn lonely.

I only pulled myself together when I realized that it was the _pharaoh's_ guards who killed my village. I ridded myself of the grief that I was suffering and replaced it with hate. I pulled myself together, and formed a plan to kill the pharaoh…

…Only to be killed by the pharaoh.

I then spent five thousand years inside of the Millennium Ring. Five thousand years of solitude, surrounded by gold that I didn't really want.

And then, who should stumble upon the ring, but Ryou?

Since then, I've always felt dependant on Ryou's presence. I became so accustomed to having someone around all the time – even if we didn't like each other very much.

When I gained my own body, I was sure that my first life would repeat itself, and that Ryou would throw me out of his home forever. I would have been disappointed, but not at all surprised.

He didn't.

I'll never understand why he decided to give me that second chance – the chance to redeem myself in his eyes and to stay with him.

But then again, he seemed pretty lonely, too…

…

I was standing in front of my own door.

What?

I must have stopped thinking of where I was going. Suddenly, I was home.

Without much thought, I stepped inside, undressed, and went to sleep.

It had been a long, uneventful day, and I could feel the sickness slowly come back to me, before it disappeared just as quickly as I fell asleep…

…

I woke up early the next morning.

Sunday.

It would only be another day until Ryou returned. I really needed him back, before I starved myself to death. I didn't feel hungry, though. I really didn't. I just felt sick again. So I stayed in bed.  
It must have been hours later when Marik and Malik decided to show up in my house.

"Hey, Bakura! Wake up!" Malik called, poking his head in my bedroom.

I was wide awake, despite the fact that I was still lying in bed.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" I demanded.

Malik entered the room as Marik poked his head in. Damn. I realized that I forgot to lock the door.

"Feeding you. Get dressed." He pulled Malik out of the room and closed the door.

Growling, I got up and put some clothes on. (A/N: Not that he was naked before, he just was not wearing as much to bed as he would during the day.) When I left my room, I looked around. Marik was in the kitchen, making pancakes, and Malik was sitting on _my_ couch, watching _my_ TV.

I ignored the small blonde and went into the kitchen.

"Why are you here?" I muttered. Marik glanced at me before returning to his pancakes.

"You were sick. Malik and I were concerned, so we came to check up on you. _And_ it turns out you haven't been eating." He eyed the money that Ryou had left on the table for me. "I checked the cupboards, and they appear full."

I only grunted and sat down. Within minutes, a plate with two large pancakes was shoved under my nose. Malik happily sat across from me.

"How come you're not eating?" Marik asked. He knew that I usually eat a lot.

"I've been sick."

"How long are you going to use that excuse to cover up for everything?"

I glared at him. Can't he be tolerable for a few minutes?

"I _am_ sick," I argued. Marik rolled his eyes, and Malik just inhaled all on his plate.

Annoyed, I jabbed at my breakfast with a fork.

I actually did eat breakfast that morning…

…

Marik and Malik continued to come around at meal times that day to cook and eat with me. If they weren't doing that, then they were just asking me questions and annoying me.

"So, how long until Ryou comes home?"

"He'll be home tomorrow."

"We won't have to baby-sit you tomorrow?"

"You won't ever have to baby-sit me."

"Good."

After dinner, they left. After dinner, I became lonely again, and so I went to bed. I figured that in the morning, Ryou would be home, and I would have to put up with this no longer…

…

I was wrong.

I even woke up late the next morning (which for me, was ten in the morning) and he wasn't there.

Did he ever take his sweet time coming home?

And now Marik and Malik weren't coming, either. I wasn't about to call them. I didn't want them to think highly of themselves for intruding on my property and annoying me for hours.

I lied down on the couch and watched a program on the TV that I wasn't interested in. I then took a nap. It was a repeat of Saturday…

…

I awoke that evening to hear the door opening. Oh! So, after three days, my little yadonushi decides to come home!

**Author's notes:**

Well, I am officially two thirds done, then. I can't seem to think of any more plots for any more fanfics. Maybe I will before the end of the third chapter.

I was contemplating taking out the Marik/Malik part altogether, for it was becoming far too random and I was loosing my structured sentences. Microsoft Word was complaining about my grammar. XD

Hmm… I think I changed my style of writing about half way through the story.


	3. Ryou's Point of View

**Summary:**

_"Stupid Yadonushi!" Bakura wants Ryou to be just as strong as he is, but when Ryou leaves for a while, Bakura learns just how hard it can be. Hopefully the story is better than the summary. RyouXBakura Yaoi. Rated for swearing._

**Author's Notes:**

Woohoo! Third chapter! Still no signs of any new ideas, though. Anonymous reviews are now enabled. (I didn't know how to do that, before.)

Hey! took the first set of quotation marks out of the summary!

**Chapter Three:**

"Hello, Yadonushi."

I murmured a "Hello," as I stumbled through the door, carrying my suitcase. I dropped it beside me, too tired to want to lug it around any longer. It was Monday evening. I had spent enough time dragging luggage around.

It wasn't even that great in Egypt. I mean – the place was gorgeous – but I wanted to spend time with my father.

I never had the chance.

He still had to work, despite the arrival of his only son. I spent the few days there learning about Egypt with him, rather than speaking with him about our lives.

Not that we have much of a life.

I never even told him about my friends. I don't think he could even name one.

I told him a bit about Bakura, though – how he looked like me, and how he lived with me. Father seemed OK with him, but didn't seem to have much of an opinion about him.

Speaking of Bakura… I had bought him a gift. It wasn't much, and I wasn't sure that he'd like it very much, but I had to get him _something._ I couldn't very well take off to Egypt and come back with nothing for him.

…Unless he totally wrecked my house…

I was worried that he might destroy everything in sight while I was gone – whether on purpose or not.

I stepped into the living room and looked around… and gasped.

He was hardly even visible, lying on the couch with his hand on his forehead. He looked sick! I rushed to the couch and leaned over him.

"Are you OK, Bakura?"

I wondered what he had been doing. Could he have done something to injure himself? Did he get into a fight? Did he lose? … Actually, I can't imagine him losing in a fight, unless it was against the pharaoh.

"I'm sick!" He sounded irritable, as if he'd already told me this.

"Well, what's wrong? Did you get into a fight?" I was about to rush to the bathroom to get some Ib prophin, when he said

"No."

I stopped.

"Then, do you have a headache?" I figured this would be it, because he had his hand on his forehead. I continued to walk towards the bathroom, but stopped again.

"No."

I sighed. "So then, are you sick to your stomach?"

"Sort of…"

I went into the kitchen and poured him a glass of ginger ale. I thought it funny that most contents of the 'fridge were still present. Didn't he eat anything? He usually lacked any manners when it came to eating…

I entered the room where Bakura was and offered him the ginger ale. He removed his hand and looked at it.

He shook his head.

"I'm not thirsty."

"It'll help your stomach," I explained. He shook his head again.

"I'm not _that_ kind of sick!"  
Confused, I left the drink with him.

"Have you eaten anything today?" I asked him. He shook his head. I squeaked and headed for the kitchen to grab any random food item. I brought back for him an apple, a pudding and… a zucchini? I don't even like those! Why was that in my 'fridge?

I held the food out for him. He took one look at me and shook his head for the third time.

"I'm not hungry. I feel sick."

It was at this point that I thought he was messing around with me. Maybe he really was mad at me for leaving? Maybe now he was trying to get back at me?

"If I take you to the doctor and you're not sick, I swear-"

"I don't need a doctor."

Frustrated, I pulled at my hair.

"Bakura! How could you be sick and yet you refuse everything I give you."

"Foolish yadonushi; I don't need those."

I knelt down beside him, my fingers still pulling at my head. Before I could stop myself, tears began to roll down my cheeks. I was tired, frustrated, and completely confused. What was wrong with Bakura? I had never seen _him_ so pathetic in my life! I simply could not figure out what would help him.

I heard him shift. He would have been able to see me, bawling right there. I must have looked pretty pathetic as well.

He pulled my hands out of my hair, stopping me from prying my hair out of my scalp.

"Don't do that!" he snapped, "I'm not _that_ sick!"

"…S-still… I'm worried," I didn't look at him as I spoke between sobs. I was afraid to look at him. I could only imagine the look he was giving me. It would be that face he makes when he wishes I wasn't so weak…

But then, I suddenly felt his hand grab the back of my neck, and I was surprised to feel my head being pulled his way. I almost fell forward from my kneeling position when I felt my lips being pressed up against Bakura's.

Was he kissing me?

What was he thinking?

I gasped and pulled away quickly.

"What are you…?" That was about all I could get out of my mouth. I never thought that Bakura was like that. I never even considered my own feelings towards him.

…But it felt… good, somehow…

Bakura snorted at me. "Do you hate me, Ryou?"

I gasped.

"No! It's just that… I… You're _sick,_ Bakura!"

He snorted again. "That's it?" I blushed.

"Well…"

He pulled me down again and kissed me. I didn't pull away. I felt his hand stroke my hair, while the other pulled me down closer to him. I moaned as I felt his tongue against my lips. I opened my mouth slightly and felt his tongue meet mine.

I had never thought myself as gay, even though I was often mistaken for it. Kissing Bakura like that just made me forget about anything that ever bothered me. Even the distance between my friends, my father and I seemed unimportant.

But this was short lived, because I fell asleep in his arms. I was exhausted…

(Random Bakura's point of view)

Bakura laughed to himself quietly. He was certainly glad his hikari was OK with him – and he didn't feel sick anymore. He ran his fingers through the sleeping boy's hair.

"I love you, Yadonushi."

**End.**

**Author's Notes:**

To those who are unfamiliar with ginger ale, it's a Canadian beverage.

Sorry, this must have been the shortest of all the chapters. I received some really encouraging reviews for the first two chapters. Was this one any good? Did it conclude the story properly?

And sorry, the kissing scene sucked. I've never kissed a boy, so I wouldn't know what it was like. I would probably hurt myself, anyway. (XD)


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